Project Proposal
“Giving Back Through Music” is the name I chose for my project. To give a little context, my grandpa Mervin Oana was a relatively famous local musician here on Maui. As a kid I always wanted to grow up and make music just like him. Early last month he unfortunately passed away peacefully in his sleep. Towards the end of his life, his favorite pastime was listening to me play guitar and sing. The last thing he told me was to be strong and keep practicing. It’s inspired me to continue to do what we both loved and give back at the same time. Neither me or him would want family legacy to end there. Realizing how much music helped my grandpa transition in his final days, I would like to pass that gift to other people who are at the dusk of their lives. So I propose that to better my skills and give back to the community which helped him so much towards the end of his life, I am going to be composing music of which I will be performing for the staff and patients at different nursing homes throughout Maui. My grandpa attended Maui Adult Day Care at Ocean View and attended rehab at Hale Makua. These centers provide care, companionship, exercise and entertainment to the elderly of Maui. The elderly is also a demographic that is overlooked quite often when it comes to people serving their community. I understand that it can be a difficult service to perform as you are working with people who are at the end stages of their lives. Playing music for them and the workers at these facilities will raise the spirit of the people there. This will allow me to continue the legacy of my grandfather and our family. I feel through doing this I can better connect with the community that my grandpa came to know so well.
Reflection
This is the proposal for my senior project. In it I talk about what the purpose of my project is, why its important to me, and what steps I will be taking to get there. Although my senior project is still ongoing, I feel that creativity will be arguably the most used 21st century skill in this project. I will be writing my own songs, and that not only takes skill but also creativity. It wont be easy, but I am determined. I feel like this project will help me improve my guitar playing skills as well as my slight fear of audiences. I cannot wait to give back to these communities which are often neglected. If I wrote my proposal again, I would focus more on how and why music can help people and myself mentally.